Forty years ago, as the new Cal/OSHA program was just getting under way and Cal-OSHA Reporter was just beginning to report on the new agency, there were a number of firsts for the occupational safety and health community. Here are some excerpts from the first few issues of Cal-OSHA Reporter. “Federal-State Imposters?” Over the years, …
By a majority vote after a public hearing, the following revisions to Title 8 safety orders have been adopted by the Cal/OSH Standards Board. They have been approved by the Office of Administrative Law and now are in the California Code of Regulations. GUARDRAIL EXCEPTION FOR PORTABLE AMUSEMENT RIDES: Revisions to General Industry Safety Orders …
Saying its investigators found willful violations “before, during and after” an Aug. 6, 2012, explosion and fire that severely damaged a Richmond refinery, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has proposed the highest penalties ever against an employer in a set of citations issued Jan. 30 against Chevron USA. DOSH cited the California-based …
First responders to workplace injury or illness incidents routinely report the cases to Cal/OSHA, to the point that employers sometimes — and erroneously — assume that they don’t have to report because the incident has already been brought to the agency’s attention. But when the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) responded to a heart attack …
The Construction Employers’ Association (CEA) has honored Rodney Spencley, corporate safety director for DPR Construction, with its 2012 Leadership in Safety Award. Spencley and 12 construction companies were feted by the organization on Jan. 22 with president’s safety awards. The group will honor its Excellence in Safety Award winners on Feb. 1. Spencley has been …
By a unanimous vote, the Cal/OSH Standards Board adopted revisions to the General Industry Safety Orders (GISO) on Jan. 17 that make a saw safety order as protective as its federal counterparts. The Division of Occupational Safety and Health pointed out to board staff that GISO §4309(a) as currently written is “significantly less protective” than …
OAKLAND – The Cal/OSH Standards Board wants to reduce the permissible exposure limit (PELs) for the chemical ethylbenzene to reduce short- and long-term risks to workers by a factor of 20. But worker advocates said at a Jan. 17 public hearing that the reduction should be a factor of 200. Also at the public hearing, …
For those of us in the publishing world, 40 years is a lifetime these days. We are happy to announce that this year marks the 40th anniversary of Cal-OSHA Reporter, the most widely read publication in the Safety and Health Community in California. J Dale Debber, our colorful publisher reminded all of us of our …